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More good films and TV

Upcoming good films and TV….fantasy, crime, sci-fi, war stories, fiction to film….

Breath

The film of Tim Winton’s powerful novel is to be directed by Simon Baker (The mentalist), who will also produce and star in it. Set in a small Western Australian town in the 1970s, two teenage surfers become friends with an older surfer (Baker) and his wife. Their addiction to extreme surfing parallels their relationship with the older couple, leading to devastating consequences that impact on their lives forever. The novel is controversial and some schools would not choose to use it, but we use it with our senior classes. I think it is one of Winton’s best. His novels The riders and Shallows are also being developed as films.

Commissioned by the ABC’s Indigenous unit – an innovative 6 part futuristic action drama set in the near future. A group of non-humans battle for survival in a world where humans feel increasingly inferior to them, wanting to exploit them as well as silence them. Two estranged indigenous brothers are forced together to fight for their own survival in this landscape, with Dreamtime creatures living in this world as refugees. Many of the stories in Cleverman are drawn from Aboriginal story-telling, for which series creator Ryan Griffen obtained permission from Aboriginal elders. “The arc of the stories is fiction but the heart and genesis of the stories come from Aboriginal story-telling. There is a definite truth to the stories.” (Rosemary Blight, producer).

8 part mystery series set in Tasmania. Influenced by scandi-noir dramas, with otherworldly overtones. Stars Elizabeth Debicki and Matt Le Nevez. A doctor returns to her hometown and finds herself inexplicably linked to the cases of 2 girls who disappeared in the wild 15 years apart. To clear her name, she must delve into her troubled past and the power of the mysterious land. Screens late 2015 on Foxtel.

6 part series based on John Marsden’s best-selling young adult war series…at last! The 2010 film was popular, but only covered the first book, so this series will be more satisfying for fans of the series. Filming starts soon.

Telemovie of the popular young adult series created by Tony Ayres about 4 teenagers who get lost on a school excursion and return home – only to find they never existed. In the telemovie, an evil power invades and they discover that in order to save the multiverse, they must be ready to sacrifice their lives. Filming starts soon.